One black cat, which residents claimed spent seven weeks in a pine tree off Glen Charlie Road, is back on solid ground after a rescue operation.

On Monday, Michael Ponte of Pontiac Tree Service volunteered his services after seeing a Facebook post by the Friends of Wareham Animals that put the call out for help.

According to the post, the cat had climbed up to 40 feet in the tree. Using his bucket truck, Ponte elevated himself to the cat and brought it down where food and water were waiting.

Neighbors said they saw the cat, which is a stray, run up the tree seven weeks ago. Despite attempts to coax it down, the cat appeared to remain in the tree the whole time they said.

“We have no idea how it survived,” said Shannon Maloney, whose property abuts the tree.

While the length of time the cat spent in the tree seems unbelievable, Marion Animal Hospital veterinarian Lauralynn Dyer said it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Dyer treated the cat on Monday at the hospital. She said its vital signs were strong, but it was dehydrated.

“When I saw him he didn’t look in horrendous shape. He didn’t look completely emaciated,” she said. “He must have been getting nutrients from somewhere.”

It’s possible the cat preyed on squirrels, chipmunks and birds. Also, she noted that pine sap may have helped it survive, she said.

As for coming and going from the tree, Dyer said cats usually stay stuck unless helped down.

“I think he was scared and ran up the tree, maybe due to a predator,” she said. “Cats don’t usually come down on their own from a height like that. Him going up and down is unlikely, but I guess anything is possible. He’s very lucky.”

On Tuesday morning, she said the cat was doing well, but was acting skittish.

“He’s still hanging in there,” said Dyer.

Once treated, the cat will be taken to the Rochester-based cat shelter It’s All About the Animals where it will be put up for adoption.